The American Dream is a common idea and belief shared between Americans that represents a perfect life. However, people have different perspectives about their own, personal dreams. For some, it might include a large house and millions of dollars. For others, the dream might just compose of a loving family and a promising career.
One of the main character in the Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, represents part of the American dream. He is wealthy, popular, and has good taste. However, he fails to have a loving family, which in our opinion is the most important piece the the dream. The story praises Gatsby's dream in the aspect that he is fighting to complete his dream, for he is fighting for his true love, Daisy. If he succeeds in getting Daisy, then he will have the perfect American Dream; money, the love of a lifetime, and overall happiness.
Since Gatsby's time, the American dream has changed. Gatsby wanted to get the love of his life, while in the current world, the American Dream is all about getting wealthy.
Nick Carraway
Nick Carraway is a young man who moves to West Egg, next to Gatsby. He is a less than wealthy buisness man. Nick Carraway's role in The Great Gatsby is the narrator and more or less a third wheel in the love story. He tells the tale in first person and, as readers, we take his perspective as truth. The fact of the matter is that, since Nick narrates the story from his point of view, we take his side on the issues in the book due to his descriptiveness. Nick is an acquaintance of Jay Gatsby, since he neither likes nor dislikes him, but rather disapproves of his nature.
Nick's father once said, "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." This idea has made Nick unbiased, therefore treating everyone equal. His belief in equality makes the story more believable since he tries to give everyone a fair shot. Fitzgeralds idea of having Nick tell the story makes The Great Gatsby an entertaining novel.
Gatsby and his Past
Gatsby is a great and powerful man, yet he hasn't always been that way. He used to be a poor man. He worked hard to achieve what he got, including serving in the military. At some point in his past, he met a young woman named Daisy. He fell deeply in love with her. Then one day, he was shipped off to war, separating the two lovers. Daisy moved on and married Tom, while Gatsby never did. Over the years of separation, Gatsby idealized Daisy more and more, until she was a perfect ideology. Moving back to West Egg, Gatsby "stalks" his old love, for he tries with all his might to recapture his past with her, resuming where they left off.
For a time, Daisy visits Gatsby, and they seem to fall in love again. However, this is not meant to last. Gatsby's life is ended in a pool by the end of a gun, severing the two lovers connection. Daisy's whereabouts at the end of the story are unknown.
As for me (Connor), I wouldn't mind revisiting a feeling of my past. I would want to be in seventh grade again, when life was easy. I didn't have any love connections then, but the relaxed feeling and the feeling of innocence is what I wish to have again. I (Mark) would also like to relive the middle school days. During those times at Powell, life was easy. There was hardly any pressure to perform and if I failed to succeed at anything, I was only encouraged to try harder the next time around.
Conclusion
Not a lot has changed about the American Dream from the 1920's and the current American Dream. People still want millions of dollars, the perfect spouse, the biggest car, etc. Others just want a caring family. It all depends on where in the world that person lived or what kind of pressures they encountered. But no matter how the environment affects their decision making, the American Dream still lives with them.
Gatsby has a Dream
The American Dream
The American Dream is a common idea and belief shared between Americans that represents a perfect life. However, people have different perspectives about their own, personal dreams. For some, it might include a large house and millions of dollars. For others, the dream might just compose of a loving family and a promising career.
One of the main character in the Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, represents part of the American dream. He is wealthy, popular, and has good taste. However, he fails to have a loving family, which in our opinion is the most important piece the the dream. The story praises Gatsby's dream in the aspect that he is fighting to complete his dream, for he is fighting for his true love, Daisy. If he succeeds in getting Daisy, then he will have the perfect American Dream; money, the love of a lifetime, and overall happiness.
Since Gatsby's time, the American dream has changed. Gatsby wanted to get the love of his life, while in the current world, the American Dream is all about getting wealthy.
Nick Carraway
Nick Carraway is a young man who moves to West Egg, next to Gatsby. He is a less than wealthy buisness man. Nick Carraway's role in The Great Gatsby is the narrator and more or less a third wheel in the love story. He tells the tale in first person and, as readers, we take his perspective as truth. The fact of the matter is that, since Nick narrates the story from his point of view, we take his side on the issues in the book due to his descriptiveness. Nick is an acquaintance of Jay Gatsby, since he neither likes nor dislikes him, but rather disapproves of his nature.
Nick's father once said, "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." This idea has made Nick unbiased, therefore treating everyone equal. His belief in equality makes the story more believable since he tries to give everyone a fair shot. Fitzgeralds idea of having Nick tell the story makes The Great Gatsby an entertaining novel.
Gatsby and his Past
Gatsby is a great and powerful man, yet he hasn't always been that way. He used to be a poor man. He worked hard to achieve what he got, including serving in the military. At some point in his past, he met a young woman named Daisy. He fell deeply in love with her. Then one day, he was shipped off to war, separating the two lovers. Daisy moved on and married Tom, while Gatsby never did. Over the years of separation, Gatsby idealized Daisy more and more, until she was a perfect ideology. Moving back to West Egg, Gatsby "stalks" his old love, for he tries with all his might to recapture his past with her, resuming where they left off.
For a time, Daisy visits Gatsby, and they seem to fall in love again. However, this is not meant to last. Gatsby's life is ended in a pool by the end of a gun, severing the two lovers connection. Daisy's whereabouts at the end of the story are unknown.
As for me (Connor), I wouldn't mind revisiting a feeling of my past. I would want to be in seventh grade again, when life was easy. I didn't have any love connections then, but the relaxed feeling and the feeling of innocence is what I wish to have again. I (Mark) would also like to relive the middle school days. During those times at Powell, life was easy. There was hardly any pressure to perform and if I failed to succeed at anything, I was only encouraged to try harder the next time around.
Conclusion
Not a lot has changed about the American Dream from the 1920's and the current American Dream. People still want millions of dollars, the perfect spouse, the biggest car, etc. Others just want a caring family. It all depends on where in the world that person lived or what kind of pressures they encountered. But no matter how the environment affects their decision making, the American Dream still lives with them.
Works Cited
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1925. Print.
Photograph. The Great Gatsby. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. <http://www.ovtg.de/3_arbeit/englisch/gatsby/images/nick1.jpg>.
Photograph. Trimalchio and The Great Gatsby. University of South Carolina, 26 May 2000. Web. 15 Mar. 2010. <http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/amlit/trimalchio/gg1a.jpg>.
Photograph. WSAQ. RadioFirst, 2007. Web. 17 Mar. 2010. <http://www.wsaq.net/UPLOAD_FILES_HERE/American%20Flag%202.jpg>.